Means for turning and arranging can-caps and other closures.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

J. T. WILMORE.

MEANS FOR TURNING AND ARRANGING GAN CAPS AND OTHER OLOSURES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTJZ. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

J. T. WILMORE. MEANS FOR TURNING AND ARRANGING CAN GAPS AND OTHER GLOSURES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.22. 1906.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Z .w W n a @WM %@W Qzzw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I JOHN T. WILMORE, OF DENVER, COLORADO. MEANS FOR TURNING AND ARRANQING CAN-GAPS AND OTHER: CLOSUREB.

No. ee'zgaes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1908.

Application filed September 22, 1906. Serial mi. 335,091.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JonN T. WILMORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the cit and county of Denver and State of Colora 0, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Turning and Arrangin Can-Ca s and other Closures; and I do dec lare the ollowing to-be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which for.n a part of this specification.

My invention relates to means for automatically turning and arranging closures as can ca s to facilitate the placing of the same upon t e cans in canning factories.

The object of the apparatus is the same as set forth in my previous application Serial No. 273,009, filed Aug. 7th, 1905, but the construction of the apparatus is simplified and the same will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus, the chute being partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow in Fi 1, being a view looking into the receptac e for the caps, a uantity of the latter being shown in place. i 3 is a section taken through the chute on t e line 33 Fig. 1, cutting one of the caps. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail View of the means for supporting the apparatus. Fig. 5 is a view simi ar to Fig. 1 but showing a construction adapted for handling corks. Fig. 6 is a view of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrow in the last named figure.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a frame work which may be composed of cast iron. This frame is su ported upon rods or bars A connected at t e top by a bolt B which passes through an opening formed in the casting 5. On this casting is formed a bearing 6 in which is journaled a shaft 7 to which is made fast a cylindrical receptacle 8 which as shown in the drawing is so arranged that its axis stands at an angle of about forty five degrees, the receptacle being tilted to prevent the escape of the can caps 9 which by virtue of the position of the receptacle have a tendency to occupy a position in the bottom thereof.

their downward movement.

The hub 8 of the receptacle is secured to the shaft by a set bolt 8". The shaft protrudes through the bearing 6. To its extremity remote from the receptacle is secured a worm wheel 11 by means of a set bolt 10 threaded in the hub of the wheel and bearing against the shaft 7 This worm wheel is engaged by a worm shaft 12 to which is made fast a pulley 13 connected with a belt 14 leading from a line shaft (not shown) or other suitable source of power. One extremity of the receptacle S is open While the opposite extremity is closed by a head 15.

The construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 together with its operation when handlin can caps will be first described. The centra part 0 the interior surface of the head 15 is cut away as shown at 16 to form a shallow recess surrounded by a raised zone 17 to which is applied strips 18 by means of suitable fastening devices as screws 19. These strips extend inwardly from the outer periphery of the cylinder and are so arranged that, as the latter is rotated in the directlon indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, the said strips will catch certain of the can caps which accumulate in the lowest part of the rece tacle, and carry the same upwardly and dlscharge them into a trough or chute 20 whose u per extremity is open for the purpose. T e upper extremity of this chute is r0- vided with a guard portion 21 exten ing downwardly on the upwardly traveling side of the receptacle, thus preventing the caps from leaving the carrying strips until they have reached the uppermost part of the receptacle whenthey are allowed to drop into the open end of the chute. To the guard 21 is attached a strip 22 which extends across the mouth of the chute but occupying a osition sufficiently above the bottom 0 the latter to allow the can caps to pass beneath the same into the chute, but preventing more than one cap from entering the tube at the time. This chute is of such width as to prevent the caps from changing position during In case more than one cap should occupy a space 23 between the carrying strips 18, the extra cap or ca s would pass to t e right at the top of the cii into the lowest part of the receptacle. A centrally located guide strip 24 is supported on the chute, above the path of the can caps, thus preventing the caps from leaving the chute during their downward travel.

ute (see Fig. 2) and drop downwardly One side of the chute is sli htly cut away at the top as-shown at 25, to a low any can caps that are carried upwardly, and unable to enter the mouth of the chute, to fall directly downwardly to the lowest part of the rece Attention is ca ed to the fact that the car-v ing strips or rabbles 18 are comparatively t in, and of such construction thatthey wil only carry up the caps when the latter are in a predetermmedposition, that is to say when their concave surface is toward the head of the receptacle; while when the caps are in the reverse position, they will slip off from the carrying strips and remain in the lowest part of the receptacle. One ofthese caps which are designated 9, is shown in section in Fig. 3 and fromthis view together with the caps shown in the other views, the construction will be clearly understood.

When the device is in use the receptacle 8 is rotating in the direction shown in Fig. 1

whereby a uantity of ca s may be retained therein unt they are a carried upwardly and discharged into the mouth'of the chute..

During the rotation of the receptacle, the caps in the lowest part of the receptacle are continually changing position since the carrying strips together with the movement of the rotary device, have a tendency to change the position of the-ca s, whereby sooner or later all of the caps wi be laced in position to be carried upwardly by t e shallow carrying strips or rabbles.

The chute 20 may be supported in o erative relation with the rotary rece tac le in any suitable manner. As shown in t e drawing the chute is secured to the frame 5 as shown at 5 by means of suitable fastening devices. The point of attachment to the frame is to the right (see Fig. 1) ofthe rotary receptacle. The upper extremity of the chute, occupies a position close to thesurface 16 of the head but need not come in contact therewith. This position of the upper extremity of the chute, enables the open extremityof the latter to receive the can caps as heretofore explained.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the receptacle 8 is provided with rabbles 38 of considerable depth, whereby the rabbles-are adapted to handle corks 39. These corks during the operation of the device are carried upwardly by the rabbles until they reach apomt at the top of the receptacle or directly above the upper extremity of a tube .40 into which the corks are dropped and carried downwardly by gravity. In this form of construction the receptacle is provided with a guard 21 to prevent the corks from leaving the rabbles until they are in position to enter the open extremity of the tube/10. The upper extremity of this tube is outwardly ared or enlarged as shown at 40, to facilitate th entrance of the corks.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Means for turning and arranging closures, comprising a cylindrical receptacle having a bottom rigid therewith and mounted to rotate on an axis inclined to the horizontal .whereby the closures within the receptacle are made to seek theclosed end or head thereof, the said head being provided with carrying strips or rabbles, arranged around the outer zone of the head and adapted to carry closures upwardly when occupying'a' certain position. D 2. Means for arranging can caps and 811:111- lar articles, comprising a receptacle having an integral bottom and mounted to rotate on an axis inclined to the horizontal whereby the caps placed therein are caused to seek the closed end thereof, the said end or head being provided with carrying strips adapted to carry upwardly the can caps when occupying an inverted position, and a chute projecting into said receptacle and arranged to receive the caps from the carrying strips at a predetermined point, the said chute being ownwardly inclined and constructed to cause the caps to move downwardly therein in the same position as when received from the receptacle.

- 3. Means for turning and arranging can caps or similar articles, comprising a cylindrical receptacle having a bottom rigid therewith and mounted to rotate on an axis inclined to the horizontal, the said receptacle having one end closed whereby it is adapted to hold a uantity of the caps during rotation, the close end of the receptacle being constructed to carry can caps upwardly on the upwardly moving side of the receptacle, when the caps are in a predetermined position, a chute (projecting into the receptacle and incline downwardly for the removal of the caps, the said chute having a curved guard projecting downwardly from its upper extremity and occupying a position adjacent the zone of the carrying strips, to prevent the caps from leaving said strips. e

head of the receptacle being constructed to cated guide raised above the bottom of the carry the caps upwardly when in a predeterchute sufficiently to allow the caps to pass mined position, and a chute projecting into below the guide. the upper open portions of the hopper and In testimony whereof I affix my signature 5 having its uppfer extremity logzated to receive in presence of two witnesses.

t e can caps a ter they have een carried upwardly to a predetermined position, the said JOHN WILMORE' chute being downwardly inclined to allow Witnesses: the caps to slide along its bottom, the chute A. J. OBRIEN,

10 being further provided with a centrally lo- DENA NELSON. 

